Alternative app store for iOS called Setapp Mobile coming soon

Setapp Mobile is an alternative app store for iPhones and iPads and has opened waiting list for users who want more app download options once it goes live. — Photo: Bernd Diekjobst/dpa

BERLIN: Several alternative app stores for iPhones and iPads are already in the works as Apple prepares to open up its iOS ecosystem to third-party software providers under new rules enforced by EU authorities.

Software company MacPaw is among the first to announce plans for a rival app store, called Setapp Mobile, and Apple users in the EU interested in the new app store can sign up on a waitlist for the beta version, MacPaw says.